Hammond News

A volunteer fire department in western Indiana has increased its capabilities to respond to incidents on lakes and waterways after getting an unexpected grant.The Bellmore Volunteer Fire Department purchased its first boat through funding from Marathon Pipe Line (MPL), a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum’s midstream segment, MPLX.The department’s chief said he had considered budget cuts to make the purchase possible before MPL surprised him with a check for all the necessary funding.Bellmore…

The United States has approved a possible $120 million sale of parts to help Taiwan maintain its warships, which the island's defense ministry said would help ensure combat readiness in the face of China's "frequent activities" near the island.The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it had delivered the required certification notifying Congress following State Department approval for the sale, which was requested by Taiwan's de facto embassy in Washington.It said the sale covered unclassified spare and repair parts for ships and ship systems, logistical technical assistance, and U.S.

Shipbuilder Metal Shark has introduced the 38 Defiant NXT, described as a next-generation welded aluminum monohull pilothouse model based on the company’s 38 Defiant platform. The first new vessel, “Fire Boat 2,” has been delivered to Orange Beach Fire Rescue in Alabama.Since 2011, Metal Shark has delivered over 100 legacy model 38 Defiant vessels, in a wide range of configurations to fire departments, law enforcement agencies, the US Coast Guard and Navy, and multiple foreign…

"I've seen grown men cry," says Captain Tejinder Singh, who hasn't set foot on dry land in more than seven months and isn't sure when he'll go home."We are forgotten and taken for granted," he says of the plight facing tens of thousands of seafarers like him, stranded at sea as the Delta variant of the coronavirus wreaks havoc on shore."People don't know how their supermarkets are stocked up."Singh and most of his 20-strong crew have criss-crossed the globe on an exhausting odyssey: from India to the United States then on to China…

"I've seen grown men cry," says Captain Tejinder Singh, who hasn't set foot on dry land in more than seven months and isn't sure when he'll go home."We are forgotten and taken for granted," he says of the plight facing tens of thousands of seafarers like him, stranded at sea as the Delta variant of the coronavirus wreaks havoc on shore."People don't know how their supermarkets are stocked up."Singh and most of his 20-strong crew have criss-crossed the globe on an exhausting odyssey: from India to the United States then on to China…

British building materials company Tarmac has partnered with London’s fastest growing port, the Port of Tilbury, to create the UK’s largest construction materials aggregates terminal at Tilbury2, the new port being constructed on the north bank of the River Thames.The work will see the creation of new aggregate processing and manufacturing facilities, including an asphalt and ready mix concrete plant, at the new port terminal, supported by the terminal’s deep sea capacity for vessels up to 100,000 metric tonnes. Its riverside location will enable the easy import of raw materials and facilitate the use of the River Thames as a delivery route for processed construction materials into Central London.Martin Riley…

Danish shipping giant A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S has acquired Vandegrift, a US-based customs house broker,  as the ocean container line pushes further into land-based logistics services and operations. This is the first acquisition of the year in the fast-growing logistics sector.“Vandegrift’s expertise and reputation enables us to place a trusted advisor in front of our customers to design and build individualized Customs Brokerage and Compliance programs that identify risk and provide solutions. This customer advocate role, coupled with our supply chain assets and global scale creates winning end-to-end solutions for companies intent on competing better in 2019,” said Narin Phol,  Regional Managing Director of Maersk North America.Price and terms were not disclosed.

Britannia Maritime Consultants has announced two senior appointments as part of its expansion into the marine casualty response market.Mike Hammond will head up a new claims and insurance department while Stephan Dimke will provide technical support for digital navigation issues.Mike brings a formidable track record and experience to Britannia, having worked in marine claims both for shipping companies, and more recently as the claims manager for an International Group P&I club with a focus on the Asia Pacific region.Mike’s skills are already in demand, particularly from companies with limited in – house capability, but also hull/P&I…

Dredging operations in the West Calcasieu Port’s west barge basin were completed today and that all tenant operations in the basin have returned to full operations, port officials announced today.Coastal Dredging of Hammond, La., was the contractor on the $1.3 million maintenance dredging project that removed more than 140,000 cubic yards of spoils over a 10-week period. The port’s barge basin depth was returned to a minus-10 feet, and the spoils were relocated into the ports…

Forth Ports, the UK’s third largest port group, has officially welcomed two new multimillion pound vessels to join their fleet of tugs and pilot boats working on the River Forth.The GBP 6 million investment in the two vessels to work on Scotland’s largest waterway sees the arrival of a powerful Sanmar tug and a state-of-the-art pilot boat from Holyhead Marine.The tug was built by leading ship builder Sanmar, is 28 metres long with two engines producing 2,700 brake horsepower and a bollard pull of 70 tonnes. It also has fire-fighting capabilities. Tugs are work horses and have a long life span which can last decades and this new tug demonstrates…

Naval architect and marine engineering firm Houlder has played a key role in the development of the U.K.’s new polar research vessel, RRS Sir David Attenborough, since it was first conceived by the British Antarctic Survey.CEO Rupert Hare will join members of the project team as hull number 1390, comprising 10,000t of steel, is launched at Cammell Laird Shipyard on July 14.As experts in ship construction, and ice class design in particular, Houlder worked with the British Antarctic…

The charity behind a campaign to build a Battle of the Atlantic memorial on Liverpool’s waterfront has urged the government to support the project with money from the LIBOR bank fines fund. The Battle of the Atlantic Memorial (BOAM) campaign began fundraising in January. It hopes to secure $2.9millon to create a monument on Liverpool’s Pier Head, dedicated to the estimated 100,000 people who lost their lives during the World War Two battle, as well as those who served and survived.

The West Calcasieu Port Board of Commissioners voted this week to award the contract for the dredging of the Louisiana port's west barge basin to Coastal Dredging Company, Inc. of Hammond, La.. The successful base bid of $1,334,020 was the lowest among six bids received by the port during its competitive public bid process. “The West Cal Port Board of Commissioners was encouraged to have received such a large number of bid packets for the project,” said Dick Kennison, board president for the West Calcasieu Port.

The UK Chamber of Shipping, with backing from 40 shipping companies, has this week written to the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, asking the Government to double the amount of funding available for seafarer training as soon as possible. The letter was also sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond and the Minister of State, Department for Transport, John Hayes. The UK Chamber, in conjunction with Nautilus International, has submitted a proposal for the Government's existing Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme to be extended. “The Government’s review of SMarT recognised that change was necessary and recommended the level of support should increase from £15 million to around £30 million annually…

Forth Ports Limited and AF Offshore Decom UK announced the signing of a Heads of Agreement with the intent to establish a new joint venture, AF Dundee, which will lay the foundations of creating a North Sea oil and gas decommissioning hub in the city of Dundee, with its nucleus at the port. AF Offshore Decom UK, a subsidiary of AF Gruppen, is one of the North Sea’s most respected and prominent decommissioning contractors and operates AF VATS Environmental Base in Norway, the North Sea’s most advanced facility for decommissioning offshore installations. The Port of Dundee, is optimally placed to accommodate a significant share of North Sea decommissioning work due to its proximity to many UK North Sea oil and gas assets…

U.S. inland vessel management company Inland Marine Service (IMS) said it has taken on Campbell Transportation Company as its latest client. A fully integrated marine services company, Campbell is currently undergoing an acquisition with American Commercial Barge Line. Once completed, Campbell Transportation will own and/or manage more than 1,100 barges and 50 towboats on the inland waterways, along with four shipyard facilities and a marine construction company, moving over 60 million tons of product annually.

Britain will look at ways of making it easier to sell North Sea oil and gas fields by changing tax rules in order to keep them producing for longer, the finance ministry said. The move, which is due to be announced in finance minister Philip Hammond's budget on Wednesday, follows a call by the industry's oil lobby group for a change to decommissioning tax rules that have prevented deals in the North Sea. Owners of oil and gas assets get tax relief on the future costs of dismantling them, but as assets are sold the relief cannot be passed on to new owners. "The UK government will publish a discussion paper and establish a panel of industry experts to consider how tax can assist sales of oil and gas fields, helping to keep them productive for longer," the ministry said in a statement.

Four corporate professionals have recently joined Inland Marine Service (IMS), announced Dave Hammond, President of Inland Marine Service. The new hires are Kristina Luna, HR Manager; Moses Garza, Tankerman Supervisor; Caleb King, Manager SHEQ/Compliance Director; and Brian Howell, Assistant Port Engineer. Reporting to Jason Adams, Luna will be based out of the Hebron office and will be responsible for all of the company’s human relations needs. Luna has 20 years of experience in employee management, human resources, event planning, marketing, and sales.

British luxury motor yacht manufacturer, Fairline Yachts, announces Robert Hammond as its new International Sales Manager. Robert will be responsible for Fairline's global sales operations and managing its worldwide dealer network. A former military pilot, Robert, has held similar roles in commercial aviation and corporate yachting, developing sales opportunities and managing client relations. Having lived, worked and sailed worldwide, Robert brings valuable experience in understanding the requirements of Fairline’s varied global customer base. Robert comments, “It is a truly exciting time to have joined Fairline, following the recent announcement of its partnership with Alberto Mancini and a host of new boat launches on the horizon.

As one of the largest inland vessel management companies in the United States, Inland Marine Service (IMS) offers services to keep vessels crewed with seasoned, highly skilled mariners. With over 700 employees, IMS is able to serve customers across the Western Rivers, East Coast, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterways. These crews enjoy a reputation for getting the job done on time and within budget. With 30 years of experience on the river, dedicated safety practices, and highly trained crews, IMS is committed to providing customers with secure, reliable, timely and cost effective solutions.

EU maritime mission gains more power to seize weapons; also says moves will help break migrant smuggling gangs. The European Union on Monday gave its naval force in the Mediterranean the authority to search suspicious vessels at sea in a bid to stop arms getting to Islamic State in Libya and to break up gangs smuggling migrants to Europe. EU foreign ministers acted to boost the effectiveness of the five-frigate "Sophia" mission after winning a U.N. mandate to reinforce an arms embargo on Libya, where Islamic State is strengthening its grip, and limit the near-impunity of the people smugglers. "We must act, both against those who exploit the migrants…

Inland Marine Service, Inc. (IMS) has partnered with Shawn Hantz of Third Coast Tankering, LLC to launch a new tankering and plant service division called Inland Marine Tankering, LLC (IMT), announced IMS president, Dave Hammond. IMS is a marine management company employing more than 700 professional mariners annually. The company is based in Hebron, Ky., with operations in Paducah, Ky.; St. Louis; New Orleans and Houston. “Two years ago, IMS began diversifying into other marine related business segments.

South China Sea warning looms over G7 summit. The United States is keen to raise the issue of South China Sea at a Group of Seven foreign ministers (G-7) meeting in Hiroshima. The US expects that this move would likely draw an angry response from the government in Beijing. Japan also wants to discuss South China Sea. The Shinzo Abe administration of Japan has been trying to place the South China Sea on top of the agenda at the upcoming two-day meeting in Hiroshima, despite pressing issues of combating terrorism and extremism, and the refugee crisis troubling Europe and the Middle East. The US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said: "What we want to see happen in the South China Sea is important.